The tamarind tree produces pod-wike fruit dat contains an edibwe puwp used in cuisines around de worwd. Oder uses of de puwp incwude traditionaw medicine and metaw powish. The wood can be used for woodworking and tamarind seed oiw can be extracted from de seeds. Its weaves are used in Indian cuisine, especiawwy in Andhra Pradesh and Tewangana.[5] Because of tamarind's many uses, it is cuwtivated around de worwd in tropicaw and subtropicaw zones.

The name derives from Arabic: تمر هندي‎, romanizedtamar hindi, "Indian date". Severaw earwy medievaw herbawists and physicians wrote tamar indi, medievaw Latin use was tamarindus, and Marco Powo wrote of tamarandi.[6]

In de 16f century, it was introduced to Mexico, and to a wesser degree to Souf America, by Spanish and Portuguese cowonists, to de degree dat it became a stapwe ingredient in de region's cuisine.[12]

Today, India is de wargest producer of tamarind.[13] The consumption of tamarind is widespread due to its centraw rowe in de cuisines of de Indian subcontinent, Soudeast Asia, and de Americas, especiawwy Mexico.

The tamarind is a wong-wived, medium-growf tree, which attains a maximum crown height of 12 to 18 metres (39 to 59 ft). The crown has an irreguwar, vase-shaped outwine of dense fowiage. The tree grows weww in fuww sun, uh-hah-hah-hah. It prefers cway, woam, sandy, and acidic soiw types, wif a high resistance to drought and aerosow sawt (wind-borne sawt as found in coastaw areas).[14]

The evergreen weaves are awternatewy arranged and pinnatewy wobed. The weafwets are bright green, ewwiptic-ovuwar, pinnatewy veined, and wess dan 5 cm (2.0 in) in wengf. The branches droop from a singwe, centraw trunk as de tree matures, and are often pruned in agricuwture to optimize tree density and ease of fruit harvest. At night, de weafwets cwose up.[14]

As a tropicaw species, it is frost-sensitive. The pinnate weaves wif opposite weafwets give a biwwowing effect in de wind. Tamarind timber consists of hard, dark red heartwood and softer, yewwowish sapwood.[15]

The tamarind fwowers (awdough inconspicuouswy), wif red and yewwow ewongated fwowers. Fwowers are 2.5 cm wide (one inch), five-petawwed, borne in smaww racemes, and yewwow wif orange or red streaks. Buds are pink as de four sepaws are pink and are wost when de fwower bwooms.[16]

The fruit has a fweshy, juicy, aciduwous puwp. It is mature when de fwesh is cowoured brown or reddish brown, uh-hah-hah-hah. The tamarinds of Asia have wonger pods (containing six to 12 seeds), whereas African and West Indian varieties have shorter pods (containing one to six seeds). The seeds are somewhat fwattened, and a gwossy brown, uh-hah-hah-hah. The fruit is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and is high in tartaric acid, sugar, B vitamins, and, unusuawwy for a fruit, cawcium.[14]

The fruit is harvested by puwwing de pod from its stawk. A mature tree may be capabwe of producing up to 175 kg (386 wb) of fruit per year. Veneer grafting, shiewd (T or inverted T) budding, and air wayering may be used to propagate desirabwe cuwtivars. Such trees wiww usuawwy fruit widin dree to four years if provided optimum growing conditions.[14]

The fruit puwp is edibwe. The hard green puwp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickwing agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption, uh-hah-hah-hah.[20] As de fruit matures it becomes sweeter and wess sour (acidic) and de ripened fruit is considered more pawatabwe. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire Sauce[21] and HP Sauce.

Tamarind paste has many cuwinary uses incwuding a fwavoring for chutnies, curries, and de traditionaw sharbat syrup drink.[22] Tamarind sweet chutney is popuwar in India and Pakistan[23] as a dressing for many snacks. Tamarind puwp is a key ingredient in fwavoring curries and rice in souf Indian cuisine, in de Chigawi wowwipop, and in certain varieties of Masawa Chai tea. Across de Middwe East, from de Levant to Iran, tamarind is used in savory dishes, notabwy meat-based stews, and often combined wif dried fruits to achieve a sweet-sour tang.[24][25] In de Phiwippines, de whowe fruit is used as an ingredient in de traditionaw dish cawwed sinigang to add a uniqwe sour taste, unwike dat of dishes dat use vinegar instead.

Tamarind seed oiw is de oiw made from de kernew of tamarind seeds.[26] Isowation of de kernew widout de din but tough sheww (or testa) is difficuwt. Tamarind kernew powder is used as sizing materiaw for textiwe and jute processing, and in de manufacture of industriaw gums and adhesives. It is de-oiwed to stabiwize its cowour and odor on storage.

In de United States, it is a warge-scawe crop introduced for commerciaw use, second in net production qwantity onwy to India, mainwy in de soudern states, notabwy souf Fworida (due to tropicaw and semitropicaw cwimates), and as a shade tree, awong roadsides, in dooryards and in parks.[28]

A traditionaw food pwant in Africa, tamarind has de potentiaw to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster ruraw devewopment and support sustainabwe wandcare.[29] In Madagascar, its fruit and weaves are a weww-known favorite of de ring-taiwed wemur, providing as much as 50 percent of deir food resources during de year if avaiwabwe.[30]

Tamarind wumber is used to make furniture, carvings, turned objects such as mortars and pestwes, chopping bwocks, and oder smaww speciawty wood items. Tamarind heartwood is reddish brown, sometimes wif a purpwish hue. The heartwood in tamarind tends to be narrow and is usuawwy onwy present in owder and warger trees. The pawe yewwow sapwood is sharpwy demarcated from de heartwood. Heartwood is said to be durabwe to very durabwe in decay resistance, and is awso resistant to insects. Its sapwood is not durabwe and is prone to attack by insects and fungi as weww as spawting. Due to its density and interwocked grain, tamarind is considered difficuwt to work. Heartwood has a pronounced bwunting effect on cutting edges. Tamarind turns, gwues, and finishes weww. The heartwood is abwe to take a high naturaw powish.[33]

Throughout Souf Asia and de tropicaw worwd, tamarind trees are used as ornamentaw, garden, and cash crop pwantings. Commonwy used as a bonsai species in many Asian countries, it is awso grown as an indoor bonsai in temperate parts of de worwd.[34]

Narawane SP 1991 Success stories of Muwti-purpose tree species production by smaww farmers in NG Hedge and JN Daniew eds, Muwti-purpose tree species production by smaww farmers, proceedings of de Nationaw Workshop. January 28–31, 1991 Pune, India.